Telecommunication devices have evolved from mobile replacements for the telephone to all-in-one communication, media, and productivity solutions. In addition to voice calling, telecommunication devices now support video and song playback, calendaring, and a variety of features requiring communication over a packet-based network. Such features include web browsing, video streaming, video chat, and many others. To support such packet-based communications, network operators have enhanced their circuit-based telecommunication network offerings by building and offering packet-based telecommunication networks, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) networks. In addition to packet-based telecommunication network services, telecommunication devices are now also typically equipped to engage in packet-based communications through wireless data networks, such as WiFi networks, WiMax networks, or Bluetooth networks, or through infrared technology.
With the rapid spread of wireless data networks and packet-based telecommunication networks, telecommunication devices typically have multiple network connectivities to select from. For example, a telecommunication device could download an audio file via a packet-based telecommunication network offered by the network operator tethered to that telecommunication device or via a WiFi network. Typically, selection of a network connectivity is made based on a universal preference (e.g., always use WiFi when available). Such selection techniques often provide suboptimal results, however, and do not take full advantage of the continuously improving packet-based communication infrastructure available to telecommunication devices. Further, each network operator has advantages and disadvantages; some may offer great coverage, but at a high price, while others may offer suboptimal coverage at a lower price. Also, a given network operator may have better coverage in some locations than in others. Telecommunication devices are not able to take advantage of these varying benefits, however, as they are tethered to a single network operator.